The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20

clear, Did I hope9 Yes. Hope is tht
last thing to desert sailor, no matter
how desperate the circumstances. 1t wa:
almost hope against hope, however.
understood something of navigation, ano
knew that it was q circular storm which
struck the ship. There was no telling
how large the circle, or whether the
Stranger was on the outer or the inner
edge. I afterward learned that we were
very near the centre, and did not feel the
force as much as ships 100 miles to the
south or west. A great part of the
island of Madagascar was ravaged, and
terrible havoc was created scventy-fve
miles inland from Port Natal, East
London, Georgetown and the Cape.
Two whalers 120 miles to the west of us
were dismaSted, and two others went
down with all hands.
think it was about ten o'clock in the
forenoon when, as 1 was hcaved up on a
sea, 1 caught sight of craft dead ahead
of me and not more than mile away.
didn't make her out very well for a time,
as there was haze in the sky and the
spray flying about me, but when drifted
nearer I found her to be a dism asted brig.
1t was mercy that I was driving straight
down upon her, for hadn't the strength
to turn my unwieidy float in either direc-
ton. There were no signs of life about
the wreck, and made UP my wind for a
tremendous struggle to get aboard Of
her. She was hulk, and being tossed
about like cork, and there was no telling
how long she would float, but felt that
if missed her should drist away to an
awful death from hunger ard thirst. 1t
seemed as if Providence guided nv float.
The wreck was stern on to me. This
was proof that her wheel had' been lashed,
and that her steering gear was all right.
You would have thought she would have
drove faster than my float, and I was sur
prised that she didn't. 1t was found, as I
may tell you here, that one of her an
chors was overheard, with ten fathoms
of chain attached to it. This gave
her heavy drag, and MY pace was
twice as fast as hers. When I came up
drove past her stern on the port side,
her by not more than four feet.
There was lot of her top hamper on the
port side held there by ropes which had
not been severed and I drove into this
mess as we went into the trough of the
sea. Climbing up the height beyond,
the wreckage slowed in toward the hulk,
and I seized the opportunity to grasp a
rope and draw myself on board. I did
not get there before receiving several
7 60
had to sit down for while to recover
my breath.
The decks were in terrible litter, and
q good share of the bulwarks on the star
board side had been washed away. Boats,
booms and everything else movable had
gone, and it was plain enough that the
brig had been wave-swept. AS a sailor
could tell by the feel of her that she had
little or no water in her hold, and that
was the main question with me just then.
The first move made was to begin Mt the
ropes holding the wreckage alongside.
had my sheath knife to work with, and
later on found an ak, and in about half an
hour 1 had the satisfaction of seeing
everything 60 clear. The hulk made less
work of it riding the waves after that,
and the danger Of having butt started
was disposed of for good. 1t was only
after I had cleared the wreckage away
that I felt hunger and thirst come upon
me, and I put away the ak and looked
around for water. The scuttle butt was
lashed firmly in its place, with cork in
the bung, and after little hunting
found the drinking can and INDUCED in
a long and refreshing draught. Not q
drop of salt water had entered the barrel.
To satisfy my hunger must go below.
The brig was built in the old-fashioned
way, with the cooks galley, stewards
pantry, and all that sort of thing below
decks. Ifound everything much knocked
about and broken, but in the coppers was
a piece of beef, thoroughly done, and
soon turned up a fair supply of ships
bread. With these articles of provender
I returned to the deck and ate until I wa:
thoroughly satisfied. .-
Not the slightest suspicion that any
one living was aboard had crossed my
mind. Indeed, l was only too thankful
that had not encountered any dead.
was about through with my meal and
was thinking of making careful inves
tigation below. when I was suddenly
seized from behind, flung violently to the
deck from my seat on the main hatch,
and found myself on my back with q
man on top of me, his hand on my throat,
and his knee on my chest. 1t came upon
me so very sudden that had no strength
for time. 1t was only when the stranger
raised his other hand, which clutched ar
iron Delaying pin, to give me blow or
the head, that put forth any effort. II
was well for me that was in the prime
of life and possessed of lots of strength
for he was burly fellow and determined
to do for me. I tore his clutch loose. anG
put forth great effort and turned hin
over, but we had a terrible struggle be
fore conquered him. 1 did not get tht
better of him until I had given him rap
over the head with the same pin. While
he was unconscious I tied him hand and
foot, and then for the first time got g
good look at him. He was common
sailor, strong as a bull, and without
doubt, a lunatic. Fear of death had un.
settlel his mind, and led him to hide
himself away when the others left the
brig. He had looked upon me as an
enemy, and no doubt intended to take
my life.
Well, after had the man securely tied
he recovered consciousness, and it was
we'll that had not been sparing of the
rope. He made herculean efforts tc
break loose, and, being now in sort Of